Such grippers are equipped with a guide element which is replaceably attached to a side wall of the gripper. The guide element is subject to substantial wear and tear since it slides along the reed as the gripper moves back and forth for the weft thread insertion. Therefore, it is desirable to make the mounting and the guide element easily replaceable. Thus, it is known to provide the connection between the guide element and the gripper housing proper by means of an elastic clamp having a head, a reduced diameter neck, and a clamp body. A bore in a gripper housing side wall aligns with a bore in the guide element and the elastic clamp is inserted into these bores so that the reduced diameter neck portion can perform the clamping action with the head resting against the side wall of the gripper housing. This side wall is referred to as the guided side wall because it bears against the reed through the guide element during the gripper movements. At least two of these elastic clamps are used for securing the guide element to the guided side wall of the gripper housing. The heads of the elastic clamps function substantially in the same manner as a rivet head by resting against the inner surface of the guided side wall. The clamps are made of rubber or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,183 (Menzel) discloses the above mentioned rubber or elastic clamps for the mounting of replaceable components in a loom.
It has been found that the guide element or rather the gripper itself has a tendency to perform a small tilting movement as it enters into the loom shed. As a result, the small surface contact with the reed and hence wear and tear are increased, especially in specific areas if the entire guide element cannot yield.